The field of wireless communication has seen dramatic growth the last few years. In today's world, most people use their wireless devices for various purposes, business and personal, on a constant and daily basis. Society is truly becoming a wireless one. Numerous wireless solutions have been introduced, and have made a tremendous impact on everyday life.
For example, the use of Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN) has been gaining popularity in a great number of applications because of the flexibility and convenience in connectivity they provide. WPAN systems generally replace cumbersome cabling and/or wiring used to connect peripheral devices and/or mobile terminals by providing short distance wireless links that allow connectivity within very narrow spatial limits (typically, a 10-meter range). WPAN may be based on standardized technologies, for example Class 2 Bluetooth® (BT) technology. While WPAN may be very beneficial for certain applications, other applications may require larger service areas and/or capabilities.
To satisfy such needs, other technologies have been developed to provide greater wireless service. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN) systems may operate within a 100-meter range, for example. In contrast to the WPAN systems, WLAN provide connectivity to devices that are located within a slightly larger geographical area, such as the area covered by a building or a campus, for example. WLAN systems are generally based on specific standards, for example IEEE 802.11 standard specifications, and typically operate within a 100-meter range, and are generally utilized to supplement the communication capacity provided by traditional wired Local Area Networks (LANs) installed in the same geographic area as the WLAN system.
Other forms of wireless solutions have evolved from traditional land-based communication technologies. For instance, cellular phones have become just about an absolute necessity in today's world. While cellular technology was merely intended to add an element of mobility to the traditional telephony service, this technology has grown beyond that initial purpose. Many modern cellular technologies, including such technologies as GSM/GPRS/EDGE, UMTS, and CDMA2000, incorporate substantial data capabilities. Most of today's cellular services include such features as text messaging, video streaming, web browsing . . . etc.
Combining various wireless technologies is another trend in the wireless world. For instance, WLAN systems may be operated in conjunction with WPAN systems to provide users with an enhanced overall functionality. For example, Bluetooth® technology may be utilized to connect a laptop computer or a handheld wireless terminal to a peripheral device, such as a keyboard, mouse, headphone, and/or printer, while the laptop computer or the handheld wireless terminal is also connected to a campus-wide WLAN network through an access point (AP) located within the building.
Devices aimed at taking advantage of the capabilities of wireless networks can be described as Wireless mobile communication (WMC) devices. Today's WMC devices may comprise such devices as cellular phones, PDA's, laptops, and/or other devices.
One of the issues that arise with the use of WMC devices is the availability of wireless connectivity. Because WMC devices are typically aimed at use-on-the-move, a WMC device, due to its user's movement, may be located outside the wireless connectivity coverage area. For example, with such devices as mobile phones, it is not unusual for a user to drive out of a cellular network coverage area, especially when driving between towns. This may result in dropped calls or significantly degraded reception and/or services.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.